The 25 best companies to interview with

Some ask insanely difficult or weird questions, while others drag out the process and never get back to you — leaving you wanting to give up on your whole job search.

A few, however, are known for providing candidates with a pleasant experience.

To find out which employers fall into that latter category, Glassdoor recently looked at the input of interview candidates who provided anonymous feedback by completing an interview review, where they were asked to rate their overall interview experience, describe the interview process, provide questions asked, rate the difficulty of the interview, and share other insights related to the process.

Glassdoor analyzed feedback from US-based candidates who interviewed at companies with 1,000 or more employees. Only companies with at least 100 reviews in the past year were considered.

To determine its list of The 50 Best Places to Interview in 2016, Glassdoor calculated an interview score for each company, which is based on positive interview experience ratings, but also takes interview duration and interview difficulty into consideration. Winners are ranked based on their interview score during the past year.

Below are the top 25 best places to interview in 2016. (See the complete list of all 50 here.)

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25. Gap

Candidate feedback: "Informative about the duties of the role, and the interviewer really tried to get to know me. It was a mix of personality questions and skill questions about the job … Heard back about the job within a week."

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24. American Eagle Outfitters

Candidate feedback: "The head manager was surprisingly extremely nice and personable, so I did not feel uncomfortable within my interview at all. I managed to actually become friends with the head manager and got the job on the spot."

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23. Deloitte

Candidate feedback: "I had a first round on campus interview first with a networking event the night before. The interviews were about 45 min each with two different people, with mostly behavioral questions. I made it through to the next round, and I was able to go to their office and attend another networking event the night before with two behavioral interviews again."

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22. FedEx Ground

Candidate feedback: "It was very quick. Once you express interest in the position, they will send you an email asking you to come down for a 'Sort Observation.' They want to make sure you know what you are getting into."

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21. Lockheed Martin

AP

Interview Score: 82%

Candidate feedback: "I did not get an offer, but I did get very enthusiastic feedback and learn more about the company and programs they have for employees."

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20. Old Navy

Stephen Lam/Reuters

Interview Score: 82%

Candidate feedback: "The group interview was with five other people. The interviewer was really cool; I felt really comfortable. We introduced ourselves one by one then she asked us what we knew about Old Navy. Then we did an activity: we had to go onto the sales floor and find some items (interviewer will tell you the theme of each item). We went back into the room and described the items."

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19. Aetna

AP Photo/Douglas Healey

Interview Score: 82%

Candidate feedback: "The managers explain the process, the history of Aetna, expectations, and some past case examples. Honestly was the best interview process I ever had. It seemed they took all the past errors, success, and feedback to develop their interview process."

17. Allegiant Travel

Candidate feedback: "Amazing … everyone was extremely friendly and easy going. They explained how serious the job was but how fun it is … If you're nervous they will break it into confidence. I really enjoyed this interview process. Hopefully I get a call!"

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16. Intel Corporation

Candidate feedback: "The interview process went smooth. I was given ample time and opportunity to explain the work I did previously. Also, I was able to learn about the company, type of work they do, and how they work at Intel. Great experience, I enjoyed the interview process and also working there."

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15. CDW

Candidate feedback: "A very high spirited and positive recruiter contacted me a few days after I submitted my application. She gave me a detailed description about the position I applied for before asking if I would still be interested in a career at CDW. We scheduled for her to call back for a phone interview. I was given additional information about CDW to help me prep for the phone interview and then a face-to-face interview. I feel like the recruiter helped me a lot during my interview process and played a big role in increasing my confidence going into the face-to-face interview."

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14. Jimmy John's

Candidate feedback: "They were polite and comforting but still serious. I admire this about them because hiring a good employee means you have to take it seriously. They asked your basic questions and then asked a little more about me, but still keeping it completely professional and work/Jimmy John's related."

12. Cerner

Candidate feedback: "The interview process is well organized and swift. My hiring recruiter was very helpful and responded quickly to emails. The interview questions are not out-of-this-world difficult."

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11. Publix

Publix Dept Store

Interview Score: 83%

Candidate feedback: "Comfortable and fun. Interviewer broke the ice by joking at beginning of interview. Laughter made the rest of the interview more comfortable."

10. PwC

Candidate feedback: "[The] overall the interview process was incredibly enjoyable. Great people that seemed very interested in what I had to say. A lot of time given for you to ask them questions."

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9. Walt Disney Company

Associated Press

Interview Score: 83%

Candidate feedback: "Very professional. Four different panels of three or four individuals who asked about technical experience, career goals and aspirations, and any leadership or work related experience. The interview process took about a couple hours. After the interview, we had a tour of the campus and a brief history of the company."

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8. EY

Candidate feedback: "The atmosphere was very relaxed and the interview was more conversational based rather than just firing off behavioral based questions. At the end of both interviews, they left a lot of time for me to ask questions."

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7. Southwest Airlines

Stephen M. Keller/Southwest Airlines promo

Interview Score: 84%

Candidate feedback: "Totally opposite of regular corporate uptight interviews. [Upon arriving, I was] taken into a fun colorful room to take selfies."

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6. H&R Block

Candidate feedback: "The Interview process was very professional, I met with the Regional Director as well as with two other District managers. Two separate panel interviews. Each with one District manager and the Regional Director. It was very interactive and I was given plenty of opportunities to ask questions delve into the company and position."

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5. J. Crew

AP

Interview Score: 85%

Candidate feedback: "The manager made a great introduction with a background on what the position will entail ... he was formal but also super cool casual. He busted out jokes to lighten up the mood. This was probably the best interview I've ever experienced."

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4. BNY Mellon

Daniel Goodman / Business Insider

Interview Score: 85%

Candidate feedback: "Everyone was incredibly warm, friendly, and responsive. The recruiter who initially reached out to me was awesome and answered any questions I had right away. The entire process was transparent and I got a true sense of why each person wanted to be at BNY Mellon."

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3. Caterpillar

Candidate feedback: "Caterpillar booked/paid for my flight, rental car, hotel, and meals, as well as personal mileage on my car. The night before interviews I was given a tour of the town and taken to a nice dinner with the 'host' (the person responsible for guiding you around the company, answering questions, etc.)."

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2. Grant Thornton

Candidate feedback: "Audit managers and partner were super down to earth and approachable. GPA and academics are important to them but they seemed to be mostly interested in getting to know me and seeing how well my personality fits in the company."

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1. Sherwin-Williams

Candidate feedback: "All friendly folks, upfront and honest, looking to hire the 'right' people. ... Never felt out of sorts or uncomfortable and made me realize this is definitely a company I would like to work for."